


Unclaimed

by EchoGhost



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Ghost instincts, One Shot, Prompt Fill, Prompt from Marsalias, danphanwritingprompts, ghost adoption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29390307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoGhost/pseuds/EchoGhost
Summary: In the Ghost Zone, there are places where unclaimed ghost children congregate instinctively.  Often, hopeful would-be parents use these places as makeshift adoption centers.One day, while exploring, Danny feels a tug on his core…
Comments: 16
Kudos: 239
Collections: DanPhanWritingPrompts





	Unclaimed

**Author's Note:**

> [Prompt](https://danphanwritingprompts.tumblr.com/post/637229759438487552/in-the-ghost-zone-there-are-places-where) by [Marsalias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsalias)/[Five-Rivers](https://five-rivers.tumblr.com/)

Danny landed on the floating island and took a moment to take in his surroundings. It seemed to be a normal playground. There were monkey bars and a slide. Even a nice swing set and a sandbox too.

The only odd part about the whole thing was that this was the Ghost Zone. Surely something had to be wrong with this place, right?

Then again, maybe there wasn’t?

He’d been standing there plenty long enough for anyone who would be inhabiting the place to spring out, but they hadn’t.

Also, something about this place just felt…  _ nice _ ?

He thought for a moment and remembered something he learned way back when he had first got his powers;  _ not all ghosts are evil _ .

And maybe that sentiment was true for the Zone itself too? Maybe not every place was designed to hurt or scare him. Maybe some places were just nice.

_ Safe. _

Now that he had a moment to let that sink in, he realized that he’s never really got to have fun with his powers.

He’d spent so much time just trying to survive.

So much energy on holding back in his human form so he wouldn’t get caught.

So many nights fighting for his life.

Would it really be so bad if he just had fun for once? If he could just be a kid?

Danny’s eyes wandered back to the swing set and he remembered how back in the first grade he had spent a whole week trying to get his swing to go all the way around the top bar.

He hadn’t been able to do it then, but he didn’t have ghost powers before.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, he was laughing while lying in the sandbox. He had not only achieved his childhood goal once, but he had made three whole rotations before he slipped out of the seat.

He rolled over in the sandbox and wondered if sandcastle construction would be easier with ghost powers too.

Then again, recreating the moon's surface would be more fun.

* * *

He was placing the final Apollo mission landing marker, a sturdy piece of grass, when shadow eclipsed him.

“Hello, little one.”

Danny looked up. And up. “Hi,” was all he was able to squeak out as he stared up at the very tall four-armed ghost.

They knelt down beside him, not seeming to mind at all that most of the sand was no longer contained within the sandbox, and smiled at him, “What are you making?”

“A map of the Sea of Tranquility,” he answered honestly, gazing at his creation.

“Really? Where’s that?”

“It’s on the moon.”

“The moon, huh? Do you like space?”

He nodded then looked back at the ghost beside him, “Is this your playground?”

“No, it’s for the children. I’m merely a caretaker.”

He winced, “Sorry about the mess.”

“Think nothing of it.” They ruffled his hair affectionately and he couldn’t help but lean into their touch. “There’s no harm in having fun.”

He liked this ghost. They were nice.


End file.
